The Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition will hold its third-annual It Takes a Village Community Forum on Thursday, April 30 to discuss ways to promote good health and wellness among youth in Henrico County.

The forum will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Strawberry Hill Ballroom of the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave. The event is open to the public and intended for youth, parents, professionals and others interested in making a positive impact on local youth.

The Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition also will recognize an outstanding youth, a community champion and a prevention professional for their support to the organization.

Families and individuals who earned less than $53,000 last year can receive free assistance with their 2014 income tax returns at locations in Henrico County and throughout the metropolitan region.

Metrocash, a coalition of local nonprofit, business and government organizations, is hosting 12 sites, including two in Henrico. IRS-certified tax preparers and other volunteers will help qualifying taxpayers prepare and file their federal and state returns at Dumbarton Area Library, 6800 Staples Mill Road, 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays through April 9; and Fairfield Area Library, 1001 N. Laburnum Ave., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays Feb. 7-March 14. A complete list of sites and their operating hours is available at metrocash.org.

CVWMA curbside recycling and trash collections will be delayed one day in observance of Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27. There will no curbside recycling collections on Thanksgiving Day.

Recycling collections Monday through Wednesday will be on regular schedule. Red Thursday and Red Friday curbside recyclers will have a one-day delay in curbside recycling collection service due to the holiday. Collection will take place on the day following the regularly scheduled collection day. Friday collections will take place on Saturday.

A veteran-hiring event, connecting veterans and military spouses with local and national veteran-friendly employers, will be held Jan. 31 at Richmond International Raceway. Produced by RecruitMilitary in cooperation with The American Legion, the expo will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Raceway, located at 600 East Laburnum Avenue. Veterans who already have civilian work experience, as well as men and women transitioning from active duty to civilian life, members of the National Guard and reserves, military spouses, and other military family members are invited to attend.

CVWMA curbside recycling collection and trash collections will have a one-day delay in collections Dec. 25-28 (red week) and Jan. 2-5 (blue week). There will be no collections on Christmas Day or New Year's Day.

Curbside recyclers should place bins or carts at the curb by 7 a.m. on the day after their regularly scheduled day. Friday collections will take place on Saturday.

Pediatric Dentistry@VCU, located on the MCV Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, will offer free services to children in need of dental care that do not have dental insurance on Give Kids a Smile Day.

The event will take place Friday, Feb. 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Wood Memorial Building, 521 N. 11th St., Suite 315. Pediatric Dentistry@VCU and its Pediatric Dental Specialist will provide exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, extractions and minor restorations for children ages 0-18 years old.

Local business owner Sue Durlak recently was named the 2011 recipient of the Ronald Award from the McDonald’s Corporation. The honor is presented annually to a McDonald’s franchisee for outstanding service to the McDonald’s brand and local community. Given to only one percent of McDonald's owner/operators nationwide, the award is the highest honor a region can bestow upon a franchisee, as well as the rarest to receive during a franchisee’s career.

The money was donated in part by shoppers at Martin's Henrico stores through a donation program that ran in stores during the fall months, as well as a contribution from Martin's. Each of the company's stores in Henrico witnessed an increase in the amount donated by shoppers this year, compared to last year; the Dumbarton store showed the
highest percentage increase, according to Martin's spokeswoman Vicki Kiger.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell recently announced 10 state grant awards to organizations that are working to conserve historic Civil War battlefield lands – including two sites in Henrico County. The awards are drawn from the Civil War Historic Sites Preservation Fund that McDonnell and the General Assembly permanently established in 2010.

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Congregation Brith Achim, 314 W. South Blvd. in Petersburg, will commemorate the Jewish Festival of Lights with a Dreidels and Dinner Chanukah Celebration. Admission is free. For details, call 732-3968.
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